Nashville School Bus Accident Lawyers

Due to hectic work schedules or a lack of transportation, many parents allow their children to ride the bus back and forth to school. Generally speaking, a school bus is one of the safest vehicles on the road, as its weight, size, design, and color all contribute to its safety. Statistically speaking, children are safer riding the bus to school than riding with their parents. However, school bus accidents are still common across Nashville. In fact, for the 2014-2015 school year, more than 25% of all school bus accidents in Tennessee occurred in Davidson County.

Who is responsible for your child’s injuries if he or she was injured in a school bus crash on the way to or from a public school in Nashville? That depends on who was at fault for the accident, which is an issue that a school bus accident lawyer in the Nashville area can investigate. If the driver of another vehicle caused the crash, your claim would be against the driver or owner of that vehicle. If the car was insured with liability coverage, you would be able to file a bodily injury claim with the liability insurance carrier. Tennessee drivers are required by law to carry at least $25,000 per person and up to $50,000 per accident in liability coverage. If the driver has no insurance you may be able to file a claim with your own insurance carrier if you have uninsured motorist coverage. If the driver has too little insurance, an underinsured motorist claim can be asserted.

What if the school bus driver caused the accident? In that case, your claim would be against the school system. In contrast with other large school districts in Tennessee, Metro Nashville Public Schools (located at 2601 Bransford Avenue) does not contract with a private company for bus services. This means that the school system may be vicariously liable for any accidents caused by the negligent actions or inactions of its bus drivers committed in the course and scope of employment, including speeding, running a red light, or making an unsafe lane change.

A claim against the school system would be governed by the Tennessee Governmental Tort Liability Act, which gives most governmental entities sovereign immunity. However, immunity is not provided for claims arising from the negligent operation of motor vehicles, so the school system would not be completely immune to claims arising from school bus accidents in Nashville.

If your child has been injured on a school bus in Nashville, you should contact a school bus accident attorney who is knowledgeable in the laws and procedures set forth in the Governmental Tort Liability Act. A school bus accident lawyer in the Nashville area can help you recover monetary reimbursement for medical bills, time missed from work, prescription expenses, pain and suffering, and other losses.